Mary Cullen Sets Women’s Record at Mayor’s Cup XC

Record
Fields and Record Run Highlight 19th Mayor’s Cup Cross Country
Races

Mary
Cullen, Jacob Korir triumphant in championship
races

 

BOSTON,
MA – A record field of more than 1,000 entrants
and a course-record run by Mary Cullen (IRL / Providence, RI)
highlighted the 19th edition of the Mayor’s Cup Cross Country Races, presented by the Boston Athletic Association and adidas,
and directed by USATF-New England and the Boston Centers for Youth &
Families.

 

Overnight
rains didn’t discourage anyone from making the trip to Boston’s Franklin Park,
site of the 1992 World Cross Country Championships. As more than 300 kids, ages
14 and under, took part in the morning slate of youth races, the rain and clouds
gave way to sunny, blue skies.

 

Next
on the schedule was the Franklin Park 5K, open
to men and women of all ages and ability levels. The fastest-growing of the
Mayor’s Cup events, the Franklin Park 5K
boasted 280 finishers this year, up from 187 a year ago. Leading the charge was
Jordan Hamm, a senior from Canisius
High School in Buffalo, NY. Hamm
trailed Omar Aden and Ahmed Ali–high school teammates from Charlestown, MA–through a 5:00 opening mile. By two miles,
passed in 10:19, the threesome had broken away from the rest of the field.
Hamm then used the final mile to pull into the
lead, holding on for a 2-second victory over Aden. Brandeis grad Caitlin Malloy recorded a
comfortable 37-second victory in the women’s division.

 

In
the Women’s Championship 5K, two-time defending champ Aziza Ayilu (ETH /
Westchester, NY) of the Westchester Track Club was looking to become the first
woman to win three straight Mayor’s Cup titles. Yet despite running faster than
she had in either of her victories, Ayilu found herself chasing former
Providence College star Mary Cullen (IRL / Providence, RI) from the gun. Cullen, the runner-up here
in 2005, led the pack through one mile in a brisk 5:07, and by two miles she was
alone in front. By the time she broke the finish tape in 16:08, Cullen wasn’t
just 28 seconds ahead of runner-up Ayilu, she was also 14 seconds under the meet
and course record set by Kathy Franey in 1997. Cullen is preparing for the
European Cross Country Championships in Belgium, where she will represent her native
Ireland.

 

In
the Men’s Championship 8K a large pack, which included 2006 champ Stephen
Chemlany (KEN / Westchester, NY), passed through one mile in 4:35 and two miles
in 9:35. By four miles, reached in 19:35, Jacob Korir (KEN / Richmond, KY) had emerged at the front, and shortly
after that he surged away from Sean Burris, Ben Rosario, and the rest of the
lead group. Korir, a three-time NCAA All-American during his recently-completed
senior year at Eastern Kentucky University (sixth in cross country in 2007 and
third at 5,000m and fourth at 10,000m in 2008), was unopposed over the closing
mile of the race, breaking the tape in 23:54, 10 seconds ahead of runner-up
Burris.

 

The
Westchester Track Club and New Balance Boston captured the men’s and women’s
team titles, respectively.

 

2008
Mayor’s Cup Champions:

10-and-under
1.1-mile

Boys:
             
Jeremy Taylor (Waltham TC)            
6:56

Girls:
              
Leah Brams (Waltham TC)               
7:18

 

11-12
1.1-mile

Boys:              
Jeremy Alley-Tarter (Nitehawks SC) 
6:11

Girls:               
Julia Kern (Waltham TC)                   
6:37

 

13-14
1.1-mile

Boys:              
Daniel Ewart (Granite State Flash)    
5:44

Girls:               
Robin Gross (Waltham TC)              
6:30

 

Franklin
Park

5K

Men:               
Jordan Hamm                                    
15:57

Women:         
Caitlin Malloy                                      
19:09

 

Women’s
Championship 5K

Mary
Cullen (Reebok)                                                
16:08 (Course Record*)

*Old
course record: 16:22, Kathy Franey (1997)

 

Men’s
Championship 8K

Jacob
Korir (RIADHA)                                                
23:54

 

Complete
results are available here:
http://www.coolrunning.com/results/08/ma/Oct26_19thAn_set1.shtml

 

Past
Mayor’s Cup Champions

Year    Men                                                   
           
Women

2008    Jacob Korir (RIADHA)                                    
Mary Cullen (Reebok)

2007    Girma Tola (Westchester
TC)                                   
Aziza Ayilu (Westchester
TC)

2006    Stephen Chemlany (Westchester
TC)          
Aziza
Ayilu
(Westchester TC)

2005    Jarrod Shoemaker
(B.A.A.)                
           
Kim Smith (Reebok)

2004    Mark Carroll (adidas)                         
           
Atalelech Keteme (Westchester TC)

2003    Keith Kelly (New
Balance)                 
           
Kate O’Neill (Nike)

2002    Keith Kelly (New
Balance)                 
           
Kristin Chisum (New Balance)

2001    Sandu Rebencuic
(U.S. Army)          
           
Priscilla Hein (Indiana Invaders)

2000    Francis Kirwa (Life University)           
           
Sarah Dupre (B.A.A.)

1999    Sammy Nyamongo (Life University)              
Christine Junkermann (adidas)

1998    Francis Kirwa (Life University)           
           
Lesley Lehane (B.A.A.)

1997    Silah Misoi (Life University)                
           
Kathy Franey (Nike International)

1996    Silah Misoi (Life University)                
           
Kate Fonshell (ASICS)

1995    Seamus McElligott
(ASICS)               
           
Lynn Jennings (Nike
International)

1994    Abidi Bouazza (Westchester TC)                 
Lynn Jennings (Nike International)

1993    Brad Schlapak (NYAC)                      
           
Carmen Troncoso (Nike Texas)

1992    Brad Schlapak (NYAC)                      
           
Kathy Franey (Reebok Racing)

1991    Andy Ball (Nike Running
Room)        
           
Gwyn Coogan (Nike Boston)

1990    Michael Baugh (HFC
Striders)           
           
Michelle DiMuro (Reebok Racing)

 

Past
Mayor’s Cup Team Champions

Year    Men                                                   
           
Women

2008    Westchester Track Club                               
New Balance Boston

2007    Boston Athletic Association                           
RIADHA/Shoes 4 Africa

2006    Westchester Track Club                   
           
Westchester Track
Club

2005    Boston Athletic Association               
           
Westchester Track
Club

2004    Boston Athletic Association               
           
Boston
Athletic Association

2003    Boston Athletic Association               
           
Boston
Athletic Association

2002    Bryn Mawr Running Club                   
           
Boston
Athletic Association

2001    Boston Athletic Association                           
Indiana
Invaders

2000    Reebok Boston                      
                       
Boston
Athletic Association

1999    Life University                                                 
Syracuse
Chargers

1998    Reebok Enclave                     
                       
Boston
Athletic Association

1997    New Balance              
                       
           
ASICS Club East

1996    New Balance              
                       
           
Boston
Running Club

1995    Life University                                                 
Boston
Running Club

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